Team-protector.



R. E. FLENNIKEN.

TEAM PROTECTOR.

APPLICATION FILED mm: 7, 1910.

Patented NOV. 21, 1911.

3 BHEETB-SHEBT 1.

CO llulllinllngngmiu O COLUMBIA PLANodlulm co., WASHINGTON, n. c.

R. E. FLENNIKEN.

TEAM PROTECTQR.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 7, 1910.

1,009,398, Patented N0v.21,1911.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

' 78 &7;

R. E. FLENNIKBN.

' TEAM PROTECTOR.

APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 7, 1910. v

-Patenmadl Nov. 21,1911.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

counuuA PLANOGIAPH (0.. wAsmmToN. (L c RALPH E. FLENNIKEN, or WISNER, NEBRASKA.

TEAM-PROTECTOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 21, 1911.

Application filed June 7, 1910. Serial No. 565,527.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RALPH E. FLENNIKEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at VVisner, in the county of Cuming and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Team-Protectors, of which the following is a specification, reference being'had therein to the accompanying drawing.

The inventifi provides a foldable shade or covering for draft-animals, which is simple in construction, easily folded and extended, and which may be carried by and may be readily attached to and detached from a wagon-tongue or the like.

When read in connection with the description herein, the details of construction and arrangement of parts contemplated by the invention will be apparent from the accompanying drawings, forming part hereof, wherein an embodiment of the invention as applied to a vehicle-tongue is disclosed for purposes of illustration.

While the embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings is preferred, it is to be understood that the several instrumentalities of which the invention consists can be variously organized, without departing in the least from the nature and spirit of the invention, and that the invention is not necessarily limited to the precise delineation herein.

Like reference-characters refer to corresponding parts in the views of the drawings, of which Figure l is a side view; Fig. 2 is a plan view; Fig. 3 is a view of the protector in folded position; and Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of the pivotal connections between the fixed central rod and the shade-supporting rods.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 3 designates supports for theshade. A lower longitudinal central rod 4 is carried by supports 3, the rod being secured to the supports by means of collars 5 thereon having set-screws 6 which engage the rod. The front end of the rod is braced by a member 7 which extends therefrom to the front support 3.

A ridge-pole 8 is supported above rod 4 by slides 9 and l0near the ends and by an intermediate slide 11 which are longitudinally movable on the lower rod. Rollers 12 are journaled in the slides and are capable of travel on the top of the rod and a roller 13 is journaled in the slide 11 and is capable of travel on the bottom of the rod, the rollers 12 taking the weight of the ridge-pole and the roller 13 holding, it down in place. Laterally-extending brackets 14 are secured to each side of the rod 4. The material of these brackets is fabricated to form loops l5 constituting stops. v

Front and rear shade-supporting rods 16 are pivotally connected to and laterally extend from rod 4 in proximity to the brackets, and the outer ends of these rods on each side are pivotally connected by a rod 17. A comparatively short rod 18 projects forwardly and slightly downwardly from the front brackets 14, and comparatively short rods 19 are pivotally secured to and extend forwardly and slightly downwardly from places near the ends of front rods 16. Each pair of rods 18 and 19 are pivotally connected by a rod 20. The shade fabric is secured to the ridge-pole 8 andto the rods 17 and 20.

Pivotally-connected links 21 extend from the lower portion of front slide 9 to the front rods 16 and from the lower portion of the rear slide 10 to rear rods 16. An operating-rod 22 extends rearwardly from intermediate slide 11 to position within reach of a driver. This rod has stops 23 thereon which are engageable with a pin or projection 24 on rear support 3.

The supports 3 may be carried in any suitable manner, as, for example, by the means shown in Fig. 1, wherein 25 designates a vehicle-tongue, 26 upright hollow standards secured to the tongue by clamps 27 having set-screws 28 engaging the tongue, and braces 29 for the standards secured to the tongue by a clamp 30 having a set-screw 31 engaging the tongue. The supports 3 are movable up and down in the standards, whereby the shade may be raised and lowered with respect to the draft-animals, and they are held in adjusted position by set-screws 32 on the standards. To take up some of the weight of the shade imposed upon the tongue, a spring 33 is attached to the tongue, and this spring may be attached to any suitable portion of the vehicle of which the tongue is a part. When the shade is open, rods 16 engage with the looped ends 15 of the brackets 14, the upper bends of the loops having position over the rods to hold the shade down in proper position and the lower bends of the loops having position under the rods to support them. The

shade is opened and closed by means of the operating rod 22, and it is held in open or closed position by engagement of stops 23 on the rod with the pin or projection 24 on the rear support 8. The shade being open or extended, the operating-rod is drawn rearwardly to close it. This movement draws the ridge-pole 8 to the rear and through the instrumentality of links 21 the shade-supporting rods 16 are swung toward the central rod 4:, whereby the shade is folded. To open the shade, the operating-rod is pushed forwardly, by which movement the shade supporting rods 16 are swung from the central rod 4 and into engagement with the loops of the brackets.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A team-protector comprising a fixed central supporting-rod, a ridge-pole movable longitudinally thereon, and arranged to have a shadefabric secured thereto, shade-supporting rods pivotally connected to the central supporting-rod and arranged to have the shade-fabric connected thereto, and a connection between a shadesupport ing rod and the ridge-pole whereby the shade is extended or folded upon longitudinal movement of the ridge-pole.

2. A team-protector comprising a fixed central supporting-rod, slides movable longitudinally on said rod, a ridge-pole carried by said slides and arranged to have a shadefabric secured thereto, rods pivotally connected to the central supporting-rod and arranged to have the shade fabric connected thereto, and a connection between a shade-supporting rod and a slide whereby the shade is extended or folded upon longitudinal movement of said slide.

3. A team-protector comprising a fixed central supporting-rod, shade-supporting rods pivotally connected to said central rod and arranged to have a shade-fabric connected thereto, laterally-extending brackets on said central supporting rod having loops with a bend arranged to e age over the shade-supporting-rods and a end arranged to engage under these rods when swung extended from said central rod, and means whereby said shade-supporting rods are swung on said central rod to extend or fold the shade.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

RALPH E. FLENNIKEN.

Witnesses:

TOM HOGHLAND, J. L. BARNES.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

shade-supporting 

